Nakayama is between Narita And Haneda International Airport

Kakegawa city / The Short Summary Of Kakegawa-shi

Kakegawa is in the south western part of Shizuoka Prefecture, there is the Pacific Ocean laid in the south. Tea leaves and Christmas
oranges are the local specialties, and the Kakegawajo Castle is selected as one of the beautiful castles in Japan. And it was in Totomi-no-kuni
(Totomi Province) before the Meiji Restoration.

Kakegawa was on Tokaido road from Edo (Tokyo) to Kyoto in Edo period, there were two post towns 'Kakegawa juku' and 'Hisaka juku' in the region
of Kakegawa City. The view of Hisaka at that time was drawn by Hiroshige
Utagawa.

In Muraomachi Period, Asahina Clan, an influential vassal of the military governer of Suruga, Imagawa Clan, ruled Kakegawa, and Yasuhiro Asahina built his castle of
the Old Kagegawajo Castle in Bunmei Era (1469-1487). In 1497, Ujichika
Imagawa and Soun Hojo invaded to Totomi Province and conquered. Then the
Asahina Clan built a new Kakegawajo Castle on Mt.Ryutosan 500 meter southeast
left from the Old Kakegawajo Castle. Imagawa Clan ruled Totomi Province
and Asahina Clan ruled Kakegawa. Imagawa ruling 2 provinces, they tried
to expand and they finally gained the power to rule Mikawa province in
1549 when Ieyasu Tokugawa who was the 5 years old lord of the province was taken as a hostage. Then
the Imagawa Clan seized 3 provinces and it became the strongest and most
influential sengoku daimyo in eastern Japan. However, the Imagawa Clan lost the Battle of Okehazama
in 1560 and Yoshimot Imagawa, the head of the family was killed by Nobunaga
Oda, the clan soon lost the power. Ieyasu Tokugawa became the hostage once
in his childhood, but he went back and took back his position in Mikawa
Province, and he tried to gradually expand his territory to Totomi Province.
In 1568, Shingen Takeda, the lord of Kai-no-kuni (Yamanashi Prefecture)
invaded Suruga Province, then Ujitsuna, the son of Yoshimoto escaped to
Kakegawa Castle, but next year, he opened the castle and gave it to Ieyasu
Tokugawa. The Tokugawa Clan gained the power to rule Totomi, but it was
not stable. Takeda Clan next to him also tried to expand to Totomi. In
1571, Shingen attacked Takatenjinjo Castle in Kakegawa, but he could not
gain it because of its strong protection. In 1574, Katsuyori Takeda, the
son of Shingen took over Takatenjinjo Castle. Ieyasu then built Yokosuga
Castle to regain it. In 1581, Ieyasu succeeded to take back it.

In 1586, Ieyasu Tokugawa submitted to Hideyoshi Toyotomi who was the Kanpaku
Dajo-daijin (the supreme minister and chancellor) having the power to rule
the samurai society,, and he became his vassal. In 1590, Ieyasu moved to
Edo, Kazutoyo Yamanouchi, a vassal of Hideyoshi moved to Kakegawa Caslte
from Nagahama Castle in Shiga Prefecture. In 1600, Ieyasu won the Battle
of Sekigahara and gained the power to control Japan. He took back Kakegawa
Castle, so Kazutoyo moved to Kochi Prefecture, and Sadakatu Matsudaira
was given it by Ieyasu. In Edo Period,Kakegawa was a strategically very
important post town to protect Edo (Tokyo), then Matsudaira, Ii, Honda
and Ota, daimyos in hereditary vassalage to the Tokugawa, were appointed such
as the lords of Kakegawa to control. Moreover, Kakegawa was connected to
Edo with Tokaido road, so the tourist industries were flourished with two
post towns Kakegawa and Hisaka.

Now it is famous for the cultivation of Tea Leaves. There are 2 spa resorts, Kuramionsen and Hosenjionsen in Kakegawa City and many visitors come to enjoy them.